We know that people use smartphones virtually all of the time, but a new statistic seems to reveal an unnatural attraction to this powerful technology. Call it a “menage a smartphone” or give it some other catchy name, evidently the powerful mobile handset in your pocket or purse comes into play during sexual intercourse frequently if you are a US adult. A recent study shows that 1 in 5 Americans reported using a smartphone during sex, providing an intimate glimpse into just how personal these devices have become.
The study did not ask individuals to describe exactly what the smartphone is being used for, or how it is being used, and polled American adults between the ages of 18 and 34. The research was conducted by Jumio for Harris Interactive, and definitely reveals a titillating and eyebrow-raising feature of smartphone use in America. Obviously, the younger end of that age group has had access to mobile handsets virtually since childhood, and smartphone use in the bedroom may not seem odd at all.
And considering that 3 out of 4 people have reported keeping their cell phone within five feet of them at all times, and others even sleeping with their handsets, smartphone proliferation and frequent use is expected. And in a dangerous statistic that was revealed in this recent study, Harris Interactive found that far and away the most frequently reported use of a smartphone was while driving a vehicle. A scary 55% of the 1,102 US pollsters reported operating a car and smartphone simultaneously.
More than 33% of the respondents also reported to having used their handset in a movie theater, while a full 32% evidently were not impressed enough by their son’s or daughter’s recital or school play performance, and pulled out their phone at one of their children’s school functions. And exactly 1 in 3 poll-takers reported using a smartphone on a date, which is probably a major reason why they are dating and not in a steady relationship in the first place (editorial opinion).
A recent study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships actually delved deeper into the “smartphone use on a date” behavior, conducting two different experiments. Researchers Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein, working at the University of Essex, discovered date partners did not mind if their date used their cell phone while the two discussed casual matters, but trusted their dates a great deal less if they whipped out there smartphone while the two were discussing more intimate or important matters. Couple that data with the above startling evidence of smartphone use in the bedroom, and you can see that your powerful mobile handset/computer is definitely having an impact on your romantic life.
